The present invention is directed toward a system for testing for the presence of lead in a sample and more particularly, toward an improved lead testing system.
Lead is a metal found naturally in the earth's crust. It can be, however, dangerous and even toxic when consumed by humans. Lead may be found in water, paint, dust, soil, and ceramics. Lead can be found in private residences as well as in many work places. Lead poisoning is pervasive and can affect every system in the human body. Lead poisoning in children especially can be fatal.
The federal government has established safe levels of lead. It is important, therefore, to have simple yet effective test methods available to individuals, as well as employers in order to provide safe environments.
Typically a lead testing system includes a vessel for collecting the test sample and preparing a liquid sample, filtering the sample, and then analyzing the sample using spectrometry. A disadvantage with this system is that the liquid sample must be extremely pure in order to avoid the spectrometer from detecting contaminants in the sample.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,619 to Stone discloses a process and apparatus for testing lead in a liquid sample by precipitating the lead from a liquid sample and filtering. The precipitate is contacted with a dye that forms a visible reaction when exposed to the lead. The process, however, does not appear to be as accurate as using spectrometry.
Therefore, a need exists for an accurate, simple, and efficient system for testing for the presence of lead in a sample.